TopBanner

Just this morning a colleague showed me that he had Microsoft Lync Mobile running on an HP TouchPad (rooted running Android of course) and I got the idea to post a blog of photos of Lync Mobile running on everything!

You can help by sending your photos via twitter post @matthewlandis and I’ll add new entries here. A couple devices to “prime the pump”…

Our WCF Tool for Windows makes it one click to see which of your Contacts in Outlook could be Lync/OCS enabled. It has been in demand: nearly 1,000 downloads in a little over a month. This is a big achievement for us and, to keep the momentum, we decided to bring the Who Can Federate Tool to the Windows Phone platform.

We decided to do this for several reasons:

Excellent little tool to have in your pocket for those moments when a client or colleague wonders if so-and-so organization can Lync. This is a feature that PC version does not have. (basically a good way to see if a company is anybody {grin})

Windows Phone consolidates more Contacts into one list than any other place I know

Finally, and biggest business case: I wanted the challenge of writing a Windows Phone app. {another grin}

The first release of the Windows Phone edition will have some slightly different functionality than the PC version:

A simple way to check a single domain you type in for Lync-ability

You can email the list of Lync-able contacts to your PC with hot URL to test for yourself if they are open (if by arrangement this obviously must be done first)

We have all the tough, behind the scenes code done. Now we will smooth the UI, make a slick logo, more testing and go through app submission process. Keep on eye on this blog for the release, or go and grab the PC WCF Tool right now!

I’m ready to hang it up and head out for the holiday and wanted to say “Merry Christmas!” before heading out. I hope each one of you a very Happy Christmas.

One of the things I like to do over Christmas holiday is read the “original” Christmas story. In my perusing I came across this recording (by Max McLean) which you might like. Here is the link.

And finally, the words of a very famous carol:

God rest you merry Gentlemen!Let nothing you dismay;Remember Christ our Saviour,Was born on Christmas-day;To save our souls from Satan's power,Which long time had gone astray:This brings Tidings of Comfort and Joy.

Note: The below solution definitely falls into the experimental category. But the exercise “works” and demonstrates some interesting future possibilities. So, please, don’t harass your IT with it and remember: it’s not an Enterprise solution. So much for disclaimers, onward…

Some have expressed interest in having Voice over VoIP for mobile devices using the new Lync Mobile client. With a little work around this is actually possible.

Overview

The general concept is that we will have the Lync Server call your mobile via a VoIP call instead of through the mobile voice voice network. (thanks, Microsoft for designing Lync Mobile to do call back. Brilliant.)

Prerequisites

Be Using Lync Server On-Premise with Enterprise Voice enabled for the mobile user in question

Use Lync Mobile for iPhone or iPad

(since Lync Android does not “Call Via Work” and currently there is no Skype Voice client for Windows Phone we are left with iOS based devices. Not trying to prefer iOS friends. ;-)

Have a Skype Account with a “Online Number” enabled (approximately $60/yr)

Steps

Goto www.skype.com and setup a Skype account and buy an “Online Number”

a Skype Online Number allows people to voice call you from any mobile or landline phone using a regular phone number.

You do not pay for any minutes used while people are calling you. The only cost is paying the monthly fee to skype to rent the phone number which is about $6 USD/mo or $60 USD/yr.

Install Skype on the same mobile device as your Lync Mobile client and make sure you can receive calls on the device by calling your Skype “Online Number” from another phone.

In Lync Mobile for iPhone/iPad, Go to Options and change the Mobile Number to your Skype “Online Number”.

Now connect to a Lync Contact using “Call Via Work” or use One-click Meeting Join. Lync should initiate call to you via Skype. First you will see the Lync Mobile message “Answer incoming Call”

After a few seconds (about 10 seconds in my case) you will see the Skype incoming call notification and you can click “Answer”.

Celebrate, that is it! You should now be able to join Lync conference and make “Call Via Work” calls entirely using VoIP.

Notes

My experience is that Skype on iPad seems to wakeup the device on an incoming call and {usually} works even if Skype is in the background.

It may be prudent to “wakeup” Skype if you changed wireless networks (WIFI to 3G, for example) or if the iOS device was sleeping.

This same general concept could be used using any VoIP provider and iOS based softphone. We selected Skype because it is well known, simple to setup and has no charge for incoming minutes other than the “Online Number” cost.

This same concept could be used by setting up your own on premise infrastructure. Actually the snom ONE IP PBX would make a good starting point and the detailed steps are available here. snom ONE IP PBX could act as the gateway to handle the VoIP leg to the mobile device. Then you would use a standard SIP softphone such as the Bria softphone on the iOS device. Two items would make this solution superior to the Skype solution:

Since you can totally turn off voicemail in the snom ONE IP PBX you don’t have to worry that voicemail will kick in if Lync Mobile user doesn’t answer the Call Back.

Lync Server and snom ONE IP PBX gateway can be connected using SIP tie trunk, avoiding the need to “waste” a PSTN trunk when doing a voice call.

Acknowledgements: Concept arrived at separately by @itommyclarke and myself. But he beat me to testing it. So, hat tip. See his great Lync blog content please: click here

It looks like Microsoft has not held back with its official Lync App for Lync Mobile for iPhone and iPad: This app apears to be the best yet with some features even the Windows Phone version does not have.

Some of the features I’ve noticed are unique to Lync for iOS:

Visual Voicemail and ability to 1 click call back callers

Most Developed Keypad: with dial tone feedback, visual notices

Tab showing Meetings and Online Meetings that can be Joined

Ability to select All and multi-select chats to be Deleted in the Chats windows

iOS Native Contacts are integrated into the Lync experience

Ability to Send Location in a IM/Chat

Some other small things I’ve noticed

iPad version does not have keypad for dialing. iPhone version has nice keypad dialing experience

The IM notification sound on iOS sounds just like the desktop Lync making the experience seem more similar

My Info Tab

Contacts

Lync and iPhone/iPad native Contacts are integrated into the experience. You can search for contacts directly from this same screen as well.

Chats

This is the window to see ongoing chats and move between them.

Below is the IM chat window. Pressing the upper right options” button allow you to take actions on this IM like: Invite more people to this chat, Voice call this contact, send Location and more.

IM Options

Location: When you are in an IM chat Window you can easily send your location.

More More

Meetings

If you have meetings scheduled they will appear in this window. With 1 click you can see the details or join them.

Meeting details and join.

Phone

The Lync for iPhone dialing keypad feels a lot like a mobile phone dial pad. (In contrast to the Lync for Windows Phone where the dialer is a text field you type in.) You can press and hold 1 to access the Exchange UM voicemail system. You can also copy number into the keypad dialer.

Visual Voicemail on the Lync for iOS clients gives the ability to instantly select the voicemail that is of interest to you. You can listen to a voice and delete or callback the caller. You can start listening or move part way into the voicemail using the progress slider.

Visual voicemail notification

Summary

The Lync Mobile for iPhone and iPad appears to be the most full featured and refined Lync Mobile client from Microsoft yet.

Some items that are missing are calling history list (missed, dialed, completed) and conversation history is not automatically saved to Exchange list on Lync Desktop. (you can Send as an email) As with all the Lync Mobile clients, VoIP, video and meeting visuals are not included.

Microsoft has put a lot of thought into fit and finish. With features like Visual Voicemail and the more complete keypad dialing (on iPhone) and small things like very snappy feel/transitions and using the Lync desktop ring tone, the iOS client feels more like the desktop Lync experience than the earlier released Windows Phone and Android Lync Mobile clients.

Note: The below tests have been conducted in a very informal manner. For implementation planning guidance please reference Microsoft Mobility planning documents.

Microsoft has noted that their new Lync Mobile client has been dramatically optimized to operate in most mobile data network conditions. What exactly does this mean? How much data DOES Lync Mobile client use? How does this compare to the SIP based CoMo (Communicator Mobile for Windows Mobile). We fired up our lab and did some tests.

For our comparison tests we used the same Lync user with with the below profile

15 local contacts

50 Federated contacts

The compared mobile devices/clients were as follows:

Windows Phone (Mango) on Samsung Focus, Lync Mobile

Windows Mobile (6.5) on HTC/ATT 8525, Communicator Mobile

Our test was as follows:

Open the client

Send an IM "test test test” to another user

Have the other reply with “test”

Close the client

We ran the tests 4 times on each platform and averaged the results. What we found was that Microsoft has truly optimized data consumption: On the data receive side Lync Mobile was 6.33 times more efficient (less data received) than Communicator Mobile. On the send side Lync Mobile was 3.42 more efficient (less data transmitted).

To Summarize, our finding in our informal and very limited lab is that:

Summary: Lync Mobile is:

6.33 Times more efficient on Receive

3.42 Times more efficient on Transmit

Below are the exact data amounts in a grid:

Como

Lync Mobile

RX Data in MB

.19

.03

TX Data in KB

49.46

14.43

other

Note 2: These lab tests have not been peer reviewed. If you notice any anomalies, please report them to me via comments or @matthewlandis (twitter).

I’ve been trying to find a major UC Vendor that supports UC media (voice/video) over mobile data plans (2G/3G/4G, etc). While there is a lot of marketing that makes it appear that UC Voice/Video/Collaboration on VoIP is a smooth ubiquitous experience, when you read the technical details, the solution is really designed to work on “WIFI” or “your corporate” network. In some cases, it is noted, you need to switch to your mobile voice network when you leave corporate WIFI.

“Voice quality over public Wi-Fi and mobile data network connections cannot be guaranteed.”

“When using Cisco Jabber to participate in Cisco WebEx conferences, you may experience audio issues. For example, you cannot hear participants, participants cannot hear you, you hear choppy or synthetic audio, or participants hear your audio as choppy or synthetic. To resolve these issues, tap Hold and then tap Resume.”

“Voice quality over mobile data network varies depending on the quality of your mobile data network connection and cannot be guaranteed. Examples of voice quality issues you may experience when using a mobile data network include the following:

If you are driving and listening to a voicemail message, you may have problems hearing the entire message and the audio may sound choppy or synthetic.

If you are driving and replying to a voicemail message, the recipient may have problems hearing the entire message and your message may sound choppy or synthetic.

If you try to access your voicemail and you enter your PIN, the time delay associated with remote access may cause prompts to play out of sync, or you may hear a message that you did not enter the PIN on time.”

Below is my informal (I did not contact each vendor/don’t claim to be expert in their mobility products) compilation of vendors that at first blush appear to do UC over VoIP everywhere, but when you start reading the technical brochures in it appears they are committing only to WIFI and Outside Voice/ Call Back/ Mobile Voice Network when not in WIFI range.

Note: I should note that vendor reluctance to commit to VoIP over mobile data networks is not a reflection against UC vendors, but a sign that mobile data networks in some (many?) areas are not primetime ready to handle real time communication data.

Note: If you find any mistakes in my informal research or have a vendor that does commit to VoIP over mobile data plan, let me know, along with URL source, and I’ll update this blog. Also if there is another vendor to add, drop me a comment.

AT&T VoIP App: Wi-Fi

Counterpath: Wi-Fi/3G (w/ Disclaimer)

“Bria iPhone Edition is a SIP-based phone for Apple iPhone and iPod touch that uses a Wi-Fi or 3G connection to make and receive calls.”

Do note the Counterpath disclaimer related to mobile operators terms of service:

“*IMPORTANT: VOIP OVER 3G NOTICE*Some mobile network operators may prohibit or restrict the use of VoIP functionality over their network and may also impose additional fees, or other charges in connection with VoIP. You agree to learn and abide by your cellular carrier's network restrictions. CounterPath Corporation will not be held liable for any charges, fees or liability imposed by your carrier for use of VoIP over 3G.”

Looks like Android is #2 to be released after Windows Phone with iOS versions still coming. According to a Technet article released earlier this week, Lync Mobile for Android will have a few less features than Windows Phone, iPhone and iPad in the area of Telephony Support. To see the complete list of features click here. (especially telephony support section, as shown below)

Looks like Microsoft has designed a very nice and clean interface for the Android version of Lync Mobile. Just like on Lync for WindowsPhone, on login you may need to type username for successful login. My Android toting colleagues are reporting the Android Lync Mobile client UI is a smooth and pleasant experience. Also, Lync notifications are received even if the Lync Mobile app is not running since Lync utilizes Android “Background Data” feature.

Followers

About Me

Matthew M. Landis has various industry certifications: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, Microsoft Certified Database Administrator, Microsoft Office Certified Expert, Microsoft Certified Dynamics, Network+ and A+.
In 1995 Matt started Landis Computer which has been providing IT services to small businesses for 14 years and is now a 11 person Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. Matt has over 14 years of field experience implementing Windows Server, Microsoft & Dynamics ERP solutions in small business environments.
Matt is very active in the Windows based IP PBX community: He was a 3CX Valued Professional from 2008-2010 and has co-authored a book on Windows communication software "3CX IP PBX Tutorial". He is pbxnsip Certified, he has contributed thousands of posts to the 3CX community forum and he writes the monthly Windows PBX Report e-newsletter for VARS and administrators. His company, Landis Computer, was the first company in the USA to be designated a 3CX Premium Partner.
When not working and when a chance affords Matt likes to travel internationally with his wife Rosalyn and is very involved in his church.